The New York Times reports that "Robert A. McDonald, the secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, pledged Tuesday to “do better” and brushed aside any suggestion that he would resign after he apologized publicly for having falsely claimed to have served in the Special Forces."

"In a hastily called news conference here, Mr. McDonald, a former corporate executive who has been on the job at the scandal-plagued department for seven months, said his focus was to connect with veterans and to ensure they received care and benefits."

“'I made a mistake, and I apologize for it,' he said during a brief question-and-answer session with reporters outside the department, a block from the White House, which on Monday announced Mr. McDonald’s apology."